Thanatogenesis
by Hoshi-tachi
Summary: When a mission goes terribly, terribly wrong, the Gundam pilors will have to use every ounce of their skills and luck to survive it. Shonen-ai, Wufei/Duo, Trowa/Quatre. Warnings for violence, profanity and gore.
1. Daiisshou: OKORI

**Title**: Thanatogenesis

**Author**: hoshi-tachi

**Category**: Movie Crossovers (Gundam Wing/???)

**Rating**: R

**Pairings**: 2-5, 3x4.

**Summary**: When a mission goes terribly, terribly wrong, the G-boys will have to use every ounce of their skills and luck to survive it.

**Warnings**: Profanity; violence; _gory_ violence; possible character death; shounen-ai and mentioned yaoi.

**Disclaimer**: Gundam Wing, and all its particulars, is owned by Bandai Entertainment. The as-yet-unnamed crossing movie has been copyrighted by Screen Gems Inc., Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, and New Legacy Films Ltd. /cocks head to the side/ Is that enough to keep me from getting sued?

* * *

Okay, umm… world peace, Trowa laughing, Relena as a Goth… crazy, impossible things, but things he needed to think about, needed to think about something, _anything_, but the big. Honking. _Needle_ headed right for his vein… 

Duo flinched as he felt the cold metal penetrate his skin and the plunger depress, sending the latest flu vaccine deep into his body. God, but he _hated_ needles…

"There we go, dear. All finished," the grandmotherly old nurse said cheerfully, swabbing his arm down again with the alcohol pad and fastening a bright little orange Band-Aid over the puncture mark.

"Thanks," the American said with a weak smile, tossing his braid over one shoulder. "So ya happy, ya old geezer?" he asked the mushroom-haired man sitting in the corner.

G laughed. "Yes, yes. You can go back to your friends, brat."

"'Bout freakin' time, Pestilence. I've got better things ta do than play pincushion for ya." Duo hopped up off the table and grabbed his duffel. "Why'd the hell I have to get a full physical, anyway?"

The scientist smiled at his young protégé. "No reason, it's just the annual check-up. It _really_ wouldn't do for you to survive however many gunshot wounds only to have you drop dead of pneumonia after all the money we spent training your sorry ass."

With a snort, Duo flipped his mentor the bird. "Yeah, right. Now, if ya don't mind, I'd like to get back. Which safehouse are the others staying at?"

"USI-7," G answered from memory. "There's a flight waiting to take you to Chicago."

Duo just nodded, eager to be out of the laboratory, with its unending, oppressively white walls. "Gotcha. See ya later, old man."

G watched the long, chestnut braid vanish through the doorway and prayed he was doing the right thing. "I hope so, my little demon. Oh, I hope so…"

* * *

It was with a profound sense of relief that Duo finally slipped through the door of one of their Illinois safehouses. 

"Duo? Is that you?" a voice called from further inside the house, and the boy grinned.

"Yeah, Quat, it's me." The pilot locked the door with a soft _click_, and slipped the key back into his pocket just in time to give Quatre a _big_ hug as the blonde stepped into the front hallway.

"Duo," he managed to squeak out after a moment. "_Duo!_ I need to _breathe_!"

Properly abashed, Duo let the little Arabian loose. "Sorry, Q," he said sheepishly. "I'm just… really, _really_ happy to be back."

"I noticed," Quatre said dryly. He gingerly felt his ribs, and once he was sure they were all intact, he gave the American teenager a genuine smile. "So, how went the physical?"

Duo grimaced. "Oh, it was just positively _wonderful_. There's nothing better than havin' a good time doin' tests an' getting stuck by big fucking needles every time you turn around."

The blonde winced, at both the profanity and what the other boy had actually said. "And we all know how you feel about needles…" he muttered softly. His lips twitched at Duo's confused look. "Remember a couple months ago, when you managed to get rather well-sliced by that mobile doll? Wufei had to dose you with half our supply of painkillers before you would let him stitch your wounds, and even then you objected loudly enough to burst our eardrums."

"Oh…" After a moment of embarrassed silence, the braided boy glanced around at the silent house. "Erm, speakin' of Justice Boy, where is he? Where's all of them, in fact? A mission?"

"In a way," Quatre answered evasively. Tired of standing around in the front hall, he led the other pilot into the living room and settled gracefully onto the single couch. "We were running low on supplies, so I sent them on a grocery run."

For a full five seconds Duo's mouth flapped helplessly, and he fell back into an armchair with a _thud_. At last, he spoke in a quiet voice. "Let me get this straight. You sent Wufei, Trowa, _and_ Heero out into public, together, _without one of us along?!_ Are you _trying_ to traumatize the poor store employees?"

The young billionaire smiled uncomfortably. "Well, the girl at the cash register _was_ rather rude the last time it was my turn to go shopping…"

Shaking his head slowly, Duo stared at him. "Quatre Raberba Winner… I'm so proud of you!" he finished with a squeal and a big grin, clasping his hands beneath his chin like a schoolgirl.

Quatre blushed, studying the floor intently.

* * *

Wufei couldn't help but scowl as he slammed the trunk lid shut with his one free hand. Juggling the final, overflowing bag of groceries in the other, he wondered what the hell the store manager had been thinking when he hired that damn onna. _Relena_ had more courage in her little finger than that girl had in her entire body. 

Unbidden, his lips twitched. Still, it wasn't every day that someone fainted at the mere thought of having to help your group… And he supposed he couldn't truly blame her. Even if you didn't know what they were, being confronted with the three most antisocial Gundam pilots _would_ be rather… alarming.

As he thought, the Chinese pilot came to the front door, and with some careful maneuvering he managed to get it open and then shut again without spilling any of the precariously positioned groceries. Of course, all his caution nearly came to nothing when he turned abruptly and jumped in surprise as he found Maxwell standing behind him.

With the quick reflexes that so often startled those who had only perceived the American as a lazy teenager, Maxwell snatched the few packages that tumbled from the bag in midair. "Sorry, 'Fei," he offered with an apologetic little half-grin. "Didn't mean ta scare ya…"

For a moment, all Wufei could do was stare silently at his crush as his heartbeat raced. Then the words percolated through his adrenalin-fogged brain, and he broke out into a scowl. "Urusei, Maxwell! I just wasn't expecting you there!"

He was barely able to hold in a mental wince. Kami, but that sounded lame, even to himself…

And sure enough, the bastard only smirked. "Sure, 'Fei. Sure…" Grimacing, Wufei strode past him into the kitchen, completely missing the wistful expression that momentarily clouded amethyst eyes.

* * *

Much later that night, long after darkness had fallen, the Chinese teenager lay back against the headboard of his bed, holding a book in his hands. He was trying his best to actually read it, as well, but that imbecile of a bird that kept chirping outside his window wasn't exactly helping his concentration. 

He lifted his irate gaze from the pages as the thing let out a particularly obnoxious chirp. Honestly, it was as if the idiot bird didn't realize it was nearly midnight…

Apparently it didn't, as it set off on another trilling run of notes, one that was abruptly cut off by the sounds of a struggle. Wufei smirked briefly as he realized one of the members of the endless pack of stray cats that frequented the neighborhood must have just received dinner. Relieved, he turned his attention back to the book.

But, as the universe is never so kind as to allow a good thing to continue, Wufei's relaxation was soon interrupted by another, far different sound. It was a moment before he recognized the mumbling and quiet cries of distress for what they were.

Concerned and not a little curious, he set the book aside and padded quietly to the door. He opened it and cautiously stuck his head outside.

Only a few seconds later a second door opened up, and Winner peered out into the hallway from the room he shared with Barton, fair hair sleep-tousled. The Arabian's face was worried, and he was pressing a hand to his heart. "Wufei?"

"Winner," he replied with a nod. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," the blonde answered, voice strained under the pressure of his space heart. He glanced at the door to the room next to Wufei's. "But I think… I think it's Duo, and he's scared…"

Wufei blinked, unable to connect in his mind the thoughts of fear and the American. Maxwell was _never_ scared- manic and annoying, often, but never _afraid_… It was like a law of Nature, akin to such as Gravity and Murphy's Law.

Frowning, he shook his head and walked over to the braided pilot's door. He grasped the handle and, finding it unlocked, opened the door.

Inside, all was dark save for the single narrow stripe where light from the dim hallway fell. As Wufei opened the door wider, so the streak widened, almost immediately revealing the room's single small bed and its occupant.

Duo's pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light, forcing the Chinese teenager to hold in a gasp. Then a gasp _did_ sound out, but it came from behind him. Winner was staring at the braided boy, eyes concerned, and it was only then that Wufei saw the terrified expression on the sleeper's face.

Instantly he was across the intervening space between them, holding the other boy by the shoulders. Almost as quickly, Winner had crossed the room and was turning on a table lamp. In the comparatively harsh light of the lamp the lines fear was making on Duo's face deepened, and a thin whimper made it past his bitten lips.

Wufei shook him gently, and frowned when nothing happened. He did it a second time, harder, and this time Duo's eyes flickered open. They were glazed, though, and there was no recognition in their amethyst depths as they gazed up at the pilot.

"Duo…?" he whispered cautiously, something deep inside him frightened by that horribly blank stare.

The violet eyes shifted, coming to rest on his own, and the pink lips below then parted slightly. Duo mumbled something, a single word, low and indistinct.

Wufei bent a little closer. "What?"

The lips parted again, and this time the boy's voice was stronger. "_Run…_" As Wufei straightened, startled, the eyes beneath him changed, filling with a kind of resigned, fearful despair, and Duo spoke a third time. "_Run, it's inside me…_"

The other two pilots exchanged puzzled glances, and again Wufei took the American by the shoulders. "What? _What's_ inside you?" he demanded, giving him another shake.

That proved to be too much, though. With a shudder, awareness flooded back into his violet eyes, and Maxwell blinked up into Wufei's face. "'Fei?" he murmured, confusion evident in his voice. "What-?"

Immediately the Asian pilot let go of him, relocating to a distance that was safer for his hormones. Unseeing of the vaguely hurt lines of Maxwell's face at his action, he frowned. "You were having a nightmare," he said gruffly.

The braided teenager seemed startled as he sat up. "I was? But I don't…" he shook his head, running a hand through his unruly chestnut bangs. "I don't _feel_ like I did…"

"I could feel you from my room," Winner said quietly from his station next to the glowing lamp. "And Wufei could hear you."

"Oh…" Maxwell's voice was very small, and very bewildered. He stared down at his lap for a few seconds, then looked up, an apologetic grin firmly on his face. "Sorry 'bout that, guys. Don't know what got into me…"

Just a little surprised by the boy's sudden change in demeanor, Wufei nodded slowly. "It's fine…" He frowned again, studying him carefully. Maxwell never lied, just as he often said, but he was the best person the pilot knew at telling half-truths. "You're sure you can't remember what you were dreaming about?"

The American shook his head. "Nope. It doesn't even feel like I had a nightmare." He looked between them curiously. "Don't suppose you'd have any idea what the hell I was dreamin' about?"

"You were telling us to run, because something was inside you." The blonde Arabian moved a little closer to the bed, looking at his friend with concern. "Do you know what you were talking about?"

Maxwell cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "Nothing's comin' to mind," he said frankly after a moment. "Sorry," he said again with a shrug.

"Oh, that's all right, Duo, I was just wondering if there was anything we could do to help." Winner yawned abruptly, and Maxwell laughed.

"You'd better get back to bed before you fall over, Quat," he said cheerfully. "And you too, Fei-kun."

Wufei nodded even as he suppressed the habitual scowl that came whenever the American butchered his name. He stepped back from the bed as Winner walked to the door and tossed a sleepy smile in his direction, before walking out the door. About to follow the billionaire's lead, he was halted by Maxwell's voice.

"Hey, Wufei?" The Chinese boy automatically turned, a bit stunned to hear his proper name come out of the annoying pilot's mouth. Maxwell smiled at him, one fiddling with the end of his long braid. "Thanks, man."

Unsure of how to respond, Wufei simply nodded respectfully and left the room, relieved that the dim light hid the _very_ faint flush of his skin.

* * *

Duo held onto his mask for a few minutes even after the others had left, not because he believed they would come back, but simply out of habit. Then, at last, he let the frown that wanted to come out show on his face. Sighing, he flopped back down on his pillow. 

What could possibly have possessed him to wake the other pilots like that? He still couldn't quite believe he'd been so _loud_. Sure, he talked a lot when he was awake, but any potential tendency to sleep-talk had been trained out of him the instant Dr. G decided to make him a Gundam pilot. Mumbling top-secret stuff in your sleep was a sure way to blow your cover…

The nightmare part of it didn't really surprise him all that much, simply that he'd been so vocal about it. Nightmares were a part of the life of any soldier, let alone one as… active as he was. He knew the others had had them, too, occasionally.

Brooding, he got up to turn off the lamp, and paused thoughtfully. Still, though, he'd managed to make Wufei worry about him. The Chinese boy hadn't said anything, but the concern in his eyes couldn't be masked, and even as Duo clicked off the light, he brightened at the thought that maybe he and Wuffers were getting to be friends after all. And once the first step was taken…

He lay awake in the darkness for a few minutes more, smiling. Just before he faded back into sleep, though, it fell away as he frowned at the question murmuring in his half-asleep mind.

Just what the hell _had_ he been dreaming about…?

* * *

A/N: There, finally… /stretches and winces as joints pop/ Okay, maybe I shouldn't have stayed up so late finishing this, but I was on a roll and didn't want to stop… /looks sheepish/ And, yes, I know I have eight other stories I should be working on, but I consider this one my stress reliever, as well as being good practice for both more blatant yaoi/slash bits and action scenes. I hope you don't mind… 

Before anyone tries to point out inconsistencies with the characters, such as Wufei referring alternately to the braided baka as Duo/Maxwell, that is intentional, and meant to show strong emotions. /shrugs/ Just thought I'd clear that up for ya…

And no, I'm not going to tell you what movie I'm crossing this with just yet. I want to see just how good all you guys are at guessing.

Hope ya'll enjoyed it, so much that you'll want to send little ol' me lots of pretty reviews…

* * *

4 December 2004


	2. SUURETSU

_Warnings and Disclaimers:_ Well, I don't own the song, which is _Letterbomb_ by **Green Day**. There are several clues in this chapter as to the crossover, one or two of which are in the song.

* * *

Dreams were all but forgotten the next morning, though Maxwell didn't seem to be quite his usual energetic self as they ate breakfast. He volunteered only a few comments, spending most of the meal reading the back of the local newspaper Winner was absorbed in. 

Wufei was glad for the braided boy's distraction even as it worried him, since it let him indulge in one of his favorite pastimes, studying his fellow pilot, almost without pause and without being caught at it. The morning sunlight glittered off the strands of gold and copper in Duo's chestnut braid, highlighting his pale skin and emphasizing the slight, barely-there shadows under his eyes. Those violet eyes sparkled almost feverishly as they focused sometimes on the newspaper and sometimes in the empty air over the table.

"We have a mission," Yuy finally said quietly, just as Wufei was about to ask the American if he was all right. "2300 tonight."

Around the table the other pilots sat up. "Where?" Barton asked, his voice as calm as though they were discussing the weather.

"An underground research facility, about seventy miles north of here. Doctor J says OZ is building or has built an artificial intelligence there."

There were various noises of disbelief from around the table. "AI? You're tellin' me the Ozzies made a fuckin' _AI_?" Maxwell stared at his partner, a look of pure incredulity on his face.

"That is what J claims," Yuy returned evenly. "The lab complex makes up most of the facility, though according to the plans there's also a cafeteria and limited living quarters." He bent down beneath the table for a moment, then lifted up his laptop. A minute more to turn it on and bring up what he wanted through undoubtedly extensive security, and the Japanese pilot spun the computer so they could see the maps on the screen.

"There are two entrances, the main entrance, an elevator that comes down directly from the city on the surface, and an emergency entrance containing a tram setup that is connected to a cover building about four miles away, just outside the city limits," Yuy lectured. "Security is surprisingly light for a facility like this, so we'd best expect some surprises. Most of those who work in the labs are civilian scientists employed under a shadow corporation, and no idea they're actually working for the government.

"We'll go in at night, when most of the civilians have gone home, and those that live in the compound will most likely be asleep. Our intel isn't sure just where the artificial intelligence is located in the facility, so once inside, after we rendezvous with our agent, we'll have to find a secure place to hack into their computer network and find it."

"And then?" Winner questioned lightly. "What do we do once we find it?"

Yuy leaned back in his chair. "We're to photograph the AI itself and everything to do with its development. If remotely possible, we bring it out with us; if not, Duo and I will each be carrying several explosives to destroy it."

There was silence for a long minute as the other four pilots absorbed the lecture, before Maxwell leaned forward to study the blueprints more closely. "Big place," he mused out loud to himself, rotating the picture with quick, sure taps of the keys. "And the entire thing's underground? Must've been hell movin' all that dirt out."

"What about our agent inside?" Wufei asked, swirling the last of his morning tea in its cup.

Yuy shrugged. "A scientist working in the lab's biomedical division, I was told. The doctors bribed him to defect, and I understand he's already smuggled out several samples for study."

"Is he trustworthy?" he pursued, and the Japanese teenager shrugged again.

Somehow, that was _not_ reassuring.

Maxwell was frowning at the schematics on the laptop. "Seems... kind of simple. So why are they sendin' all of us? They not tellin' us something?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Barton unexpectedly offered, his single visible green eye serious. "They've done it before."

The others nodded thoughtfully, sitting in silence for a brief minute. "Well, we'd best get ready," Winner said at last, pushing away from the table. "Pack so you'll be ready for anything."

-

A couple of hours passed, during which Wufei busied himself with readying his gear. There wasn't much, certainly not compared to what the other pilots had to be bringing. Among other things, he cleaned both of the two Russian-made .44 magnums he carried with him on missions, and devoted nearly an hour to oiling his katana. But finally, there was nothing left to prepare, and with a sigh he slid the blade back into its scabbard and laid it on his bed to await the mission.

The teenager leaned back against his headboard and debated pulling out his book to finish off the last couple of chapters, but decided against it, knowing the pre-mission jitters he tried so hard to hide from the others wouldn't let him truly enjoy the book as it deserved. With another sigh he rolled to his feet and walked over to his door.

The hallway was empty as Wufei walked almost silently towards the stairs. He was just debating heading down to the kitchen to make some snacks when quiet music reached his ears. The pilot paused in front of Maxwell's door, listening absently as he remembered again the terror on the beautiful boy's face the night before.

_It's not over 'til you're underground  
__It's not over before it's too late  
__It's city's burnin',  
__It's not my burden  
__It's not over before it's too late_

_There is nothing left to analyze..._

_Where will all the martyrs go  
__When the virus cures itself,  
__And where will we all go when it's too late...?_

Duo carefully balanced the slim throwing knife on his finger, making sure the balance point was no more than a finger's width from the hilt. He gave it a moment to settle down, then grinned in satisfaction as the blade stilled, nearly level to the bed he was lying on. He flipped the knife into the air and caught it between two fingers as he rolled onto his stomach.

The knife went back among its fellows on the well-used oil cloth in front of him as the stereo, turned down much further than he normally had it, droned quietly in the background. Duo propped his chin on his hands as he debated what to do next. He'd cleaned his guns after the last mission but another cleaning wouldn't hurt them, and it would help pass the time...

The boy nodded, decided, and snaked an arm down to pull out the duffel bag hiding beneath the bed. He'd just unzipped it when he heard footsteps come down the hall and stop outside his door.

Duo waited patiently for a minute for whoever was standing on the other side of the door to either knock or go away, and finally shook his head as they made no sign of making up their mind. "Well, are you coming in or not?" he called out, a hint of laughter in his voice.

-

Wufei couldn't help the slight jump of surprise as he heard the American's voice ring cheerfully through the door. He stared at the painted wood for a few seconds, wondering how the hell Maxwell had known he was there.

Finally he shook himself and reached for the door knob, ignoring the sudden uncomfortable, almost nervous feeling that had settled in his stomach like a flock of butterflies. He eased the door open and poked his head through.

Maxwell was lying on his stomach on the unmade bed, knees bent and his feet in the air as he cradled his head in his hands. There were several knives on a stiff, brown cloth in front of him.

The longhaired boy smiled happily as he caught sight of him. "Hey, 'Fei! What's up?"

"I... er... I wanted to make sure you were all right," Wufei managed to answer without stammering too badly. He'd thought Duo was beautiful before, but during those rare times when the American wasn't grinning, or smirking, but actually _smiling_... Damn. "After last night, I mean."

The teenager blinked, twisting himself until he was sitting cross-legged. "Um, yeah. At least, I don't think anything's wrong..." He absently flicked his braid over his shoulder, glancing down at the knives in front of him.

"Are you sure?" The pilot looked up with a frown, but his sharp expression faded when he saw the look of genuine concern on Wufei's face.

"What's wrong, 'Fei?" he asked quietly, his gaze for once utterly serious.

Wufei's eyes dropped to the floor, and he didn't speak for a long minute. "Last night, before you woke up, the look on your face... You looked terrified," he finally said, glancing up to meet Duo's startled eyes, and then away again. "I'd never seen that before. You... you're never scared of anything." There was a pause, as the Chinese pilot stared at the floor, and Duo stared at him.

At last, the American's voice broke the silence. "Bull."

Wufei blinked, and looked up. The braided teenager wasn't frowning, like he'd expected, but he still wore that serious, almost pensive expression. "What?"

Duo snorted. "I said, _bull_. Of course I get fucking scared. Everyone does. It's part of bein' human. I'm utterly terrified of needles." He gave Wufei a pointed look. "_You_ should remember that one."

Wufei shook his head. "Yes, I remember- it _was_ rather memorable- but that wasn't the kind of fear I meant." The American cocked his head to the side, inviting him to go on. "I meant, you're never... afraid that you'll get hurt, or even..."

"Die?" Duo finished for him. "Well... I am afraid of getting hurt, 'cause some people might like pain, but I'm not one of 'em. But dying..." He shrugged. "Not so much, I guess. There's a lot of people waitin' for me over there."

"Your family?" Wufei asked, feeling the ache of the hole in his heart where an entire colony had once resided.

The boy smiled again, this time a wry, sad smile. "A couple of 'em." He stared at the wall for a few seconds, though Wufei knew that wasn't what he was seeing. "You want to know what I'm afraid of?" Duo said abruptly, looking back at the other teenager. "I've lost two families already, and trouble comes in threes. I'm afraid..." He didn't go on, worrying his lower lip between his teeth, staring down at his lap again.

Wufei started to move towards him, wanting nothing more than to hold him and tell him everything would be all right, but he caught himself before he could make more than that abortive gesture that Duo never saw, with his amethyst eyes gazing downwards. Just because _he_ wanted to didn't mean the American would appreciate the attempt at comfort- he was probably regretting baring his soul like that already.

Open as he seemed, Duo was one of the most private people the teenager knew. And this conversation, well-intentioned as it was, was a major invasion of that privacy.

But still, he couldn't just stand there, looking at that bent head and knowing Duo was suffering. "You're not going to lose us," he said instead of the hug he so desperately wanted to give, even though he knew it was a foolish thing to promise. They were Gundam pilots; there were thousands, if not tens of thousands of people out for their blood. Danger was a part of their everyday lives, and the chances were good that someday soon, one of them wasn't going to come back.

For a second, Duo didn't seem to have heard him, but then he moved ever so slightly, tilting his head until Wufei could just see the glimmer of violet eyes. "Thank you," the boy murmured, so softly that it only just reached his ears. Wufei simply nodded, unable and just the slightest bit unwilling to force words past the lump in his throat.

The low music played gently in the background as the tableau grew, until what could have easily turned into an awkward silence was forestalled by an abrupt knock at the door. Duo looked up, obviously startled, and after a moment Wufei was both surprised and disturbed to see him paste a cheerful expression on his face before calling whoever was at the door in.

Yuy poked his head through the doorway, messy hair falling into his face. He blinked to see Wufei standing there, but quickly recovered, glancing towards the boy on the bed. "Duo? Do you have any spare detonators?"

The American's lips quirked. "Let me guess, ya ran out again?"

Yuy nodded, looking annoyed. "A bullet went through my bag on that last mission without my realizing."

Duo grinned, shaking his head. He bent at the waist over the edge of the bed, and reached out to pull a duffel bag from beneath it. "All right. How many do you need?"

"Two."

The longhaired boy rummaged around in the bag for a second, before pulling out two small detonators. "Here," he said, tossing them over one at a time. Yuy easily snatched them from the air, even as Wufei winced. The Japanese pilot gave his partner a tiny nod of gratitude, and stepped back out, closing the door behind him.

"Do you always toss around explosives like that?" Wufei couldn't help but ask in disbelief.

Duo smirked. "Sure. Makes life interesting." Then he snorted. "'Sides, detonators aren't explosives. More like popguns. And it takes a lot more to set 'em off than you'd realize."

The teenager shook his head. "I'll take your word for it, thank you." He shifted uncomfortably, knowing he should really be leaving, since there wasn't any viable reason for him to still be there.

The American chuckled, diving back into his bag. "Dunno why everyone's so nervous 'round explosives," he complained into the bag, voice muffled. "I mean," he added, popping back up for air, "Yeah, they're dangerous, but if you're careful, and respect 'em right, they'll take care of you."

"'Respect them'?" Wufei repeated dubiously, shifting again. Standing around for so long was making his feet hurt.

Duo must have noticed the movement, because he slid over on the bed, and pointed towards the space left free. "Sit." The marital artist gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, almost painfully aware of how close the movement put him to the other pilot.

"Alright…" The braided boy looked thoughtful for a moment, one hand tugging absentmindedly on his hair. "I guess it's kind of the same way you feel about your sword. I mean, it's not a toy, right? Not something you'd just whip out and start wavin' around whenever you felt like it. But at the same time, you're not scared of it."

Wufei nodded, starting to understand. "And explosives are the same? Just tools?"

"Well, they _are_ really dangerous tools," Duo admitted with a quirked grin. "But that just means ya need to respect 'em even more than most things."

The Chinese teenager nodded again, and again relative silence filled the room, but this time it was a more… comfortable silence. The kind that meant they had reached a sort of understanding with each other, and with the various truths shared and hinted at. The kind Wufei would be perfectly content to remain in until it had run its course…

Or was interrupted, something that was inevitable in a house full of teenagers. This time it was Quatre who stuck his head through the door after a polite knock. "Duo, Wufei, it's time for lunch," he informed them with a cheerful smile.

The two pilots rose to join the others downstairs, filing past the little blonde in the doorway, who regarded their backs with an inscrutable, yet somehow _amused_ expression.

* * *

A/N: Well, it's certainly been long enough since I updated on _this_ story… Maybe now that I've gotten it out of my subconscious, my muses will let me start working on _Akuryou_ again… I'd gotten the next chapter not quite halfway done when that terrible, horrible writer's block struck. However, I don't believe I will be testing the block tonight, as it's currently… 2:30 in the morning. –yawns- I think I'll post this and then go to bed. Ta.

* * *

Our most sincere gratitude to **Mithros**, **no one's friend**, and **Shino Ryu** (I swear, Akuryou and then Door…), for reviewing.

* * *

**25 March 2005**


	3. SHINNYUU

**Warnings and Disclaimers:** I hereby dedicate this chapter to the brilliant **Lachwen**, for guessing the crossover!

* * *

Duo blinked and raised his head from its resting-place against the window to look around with bleary eyes as the van rolled to a stop. "We there yet?" he asked mustily, trying to bring himself out of the half-asleep stupor the long ride had buried him in.

"Not quite," Quatre replied quietly, unbuckling his seatbelt. "There's another mile or so to go, but we're walking from here."

The pilot nodded, stifling a yawn with one hand. The other slapped at the seatbelt release, freeing him after a couple of tries. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the night. The rush of cool air from the dark, forested night left him a little further along the road to wakefulness, but not as far as he would have liked.

"You awake, Maxwell?" Wufei asked with a quirked eyebrow as he pulled open the doors at the rear of the van to get to their gear.

"Not really," the American retorted, rubbing at his eyes, "but I'm gettin' there. I think."

Wufei snorted, pulling out Duo's bag and tossing it to him. The braided teenager reached out and barely snagged its strap before it hit the ground. "You'd best wake up fast, then," he said, grabbing his own bag and unzipping it. "It won't be long now."

Duo nodded as behind him Heero walked off a bit, holding a pair of night-enhanced binoculars to his eyes as he scanned their surroundings. He set the duffel on the ground, crouching down to start taking out his equipment.

The first of his two guns was already in its holster beneath his arm, but the second he tucked into the quick-draw at his waist. The ammo belt, dyed a mottled black and dark gray like the rest of his clothing, went across his chest, and the half-dozen knives he typically carried on missions found places just about everywhere that would be immediately accessible.

"Anything?" Quatre asked Heero as the pilot walked back to join the others.

He shook his head. "Everything's quiet," he answered, moving past him to the back of the van. "But all the same, no loud noises, nothing that could give away our positions."

Duo grimaced at the obvious glare his partner sent his way at those last words. Honestly, he was the goddamn stealth expert! If anything, it should be _Duo_ warning _them_ about making too much noise! Grumbling to himself (at least inside his head, if not out loud), he reached back inside his bag and pulled out the last of his equipment: the tight-fitting backpack that held his various and sundry explosives.

"Is everyone ready?" Trowa asked calmly, checking the slide on one of his guns. Satisfied, he tucked it into its holster and looked around at the others as they all nodded.

"Then let's move out," Quatre ordered. "01, take point, 03, cover our backs."

-

"Damn," Duo muttered a few minutes later in awe. "They didn't mention the emergency entrance was a freakin' _mansion_."

There was a quiet snort from somewhere behind him, from Wufei or Heero would be his guess. "I have a feeling there was a lot the doctors didn't put in their briefing," Quatre murmured. "02, you're up. We need to get past the security systems before we can do anything."

The American nodded, moving up next to the blonde in an ungainly crouch. He pulled out a small black box and fiddled with it for a moment. "Basic laser grid over the grounds," he murmured. "No sign of infrared, they'll regret that. Security cameras are…" He looked up at the enormous house, peering through the darkness. "There, there, and there," he said, pointing at the sites.

Heero frowned. "That's very light security for an installation like this."

Duo shrugged, putting the detector back in its pouch. "This _is_ the backup entrance. And you know how OZ hates to waste money on extras."

"Maybe the security gets heavier further in?" Trowa suggested quietly.

Wufei looked around at the uncared-for grounds. "Or they just don't think they need it, for whatever reason." He waved a hand at the overgrown gardens and uncut lawn. "It doesn't look like they've ever expected to even need this place. I wouldn't be surprised if the security systems are older than we are."

"Close," Duo agreed with a grin. "These were top-of-the-line security systems a decade ago."

Quatre frowned, staring at the cameras. "Still, they'll catch us well enough if we're not careful. 02, you know where the laser grid is?"

The American nodded. "Yeah. If we time it right, we can get through the grid without being caught by the cameras, but it's going to be close."

"When is it not?" the blonde asked wryly. Taking one last look at the mansion, he nodded. "Alright. Head out."

-

_Something was not right._

_It was less than a moment's work to reroute command of the cameras from the automatic security grid to direct control. They showed nothing, at first, but then she, for so they had designated her, swiveled the camera as far as it would go to the side._

_She was just in time to catch the barest of movements at the edge of the camera's field of view. Then whatever it was had passed, leaving only the silent night. The brief time it had been visible did not generate enough data for her to decipher what had caused the motion, whether it had been a human being or merely an animal._

_There were no other cameras between that point and the building that housed the entrance to her facility. There had been no alarms from the other security features set up around the emergency access to the development, and so she allocated the incident only a small portion of her attention while she returned to the unceasing vigil of her facility._

_Espying where a flask had been dropped in haste in a research laboratory, she dispatched a small janitorial automaton to clean it up, as per safety regulations. The tiny droid whirred quietly as it moved forward on sturdy treads until it reached the knifelike shards of glass, where it reached out a metal arm to begin sweeping them into the receptacle built into its body._

_It kept at its task, guided by its own internal programming, locating each bit of glass with broad sweeps of a low-intensity beam of light. Once the space in front of it had been deemed utterly free of debris, it would move forward to cleanse the next bit of floor._

_Only once was its progress even temporarily halted, when its scanners failed to warn it in time of the obstacle in its path. The little droid paused after it bumped into the object, sweeping its red light several times over the barrier in front of it and analyzing the data that was reflected back to its sensors. The thing in front of it was quickly judged to be too big for the unit to remove, and so it turned aside to continue its cleaning._

_In its wake, the corpse of a young woman in an immaculate white lab coat laid perfectly still, an expression of horror and despair still present on her pretty face._

-

Duo dashed the last few feet to the house, fetching up against the wall with an almost soundless thud. The others arrived no more than a second later, and he had to hide a grin as he realized he wasn't nearly as out-of-breath as they were.

Well, all except for Heero, of course, but he didn't really count. The guy wasn't human.

"Status check," Heero demanded, one of his guns already ready in his hands.

One by one they responded, until he was satisfied. The Japanese pilot glanced at Duo, and nodded pointedly at a window only a couple of meters away.

Duo slipped silently over to the window. A quick check showed no more security on the thing than a simple latch on the inside of the sash, and a slower, more cautious one yielded the same results.

"This is getting ridiculous," he muttered, pulling a long, slender piece of metal that had a hook on one end from a pocket. He began working that end through the very narrow gap where windowpane met wall. "A daycare has more security than this. Either they're idiots, or they've got something up their sleeves."

Beside him, Heero frowned. "Do you know what it might be?"

The former thief gave him a disbelieving look, while still maneuvering the hook until it rested in just the right place. "If I knew what it was, do ya think I'd be this worried?"

The other pilot nodded ever so slightly, conceding the point. Bending his attention back to his task, Duo gave his wrist a sharp turn to the left, and the lock inside clicked open. Quatre and Wufei moved up behind them as Trowa continued to cover the grounds with sharp eyes, and with their help he levered the window open.

Duo peered inside, making sure the coast was clear. Even with his better-than-average night sight, he was only just able to make out sheet-covered furniture inside. "It looks like it's deserted," he murmured to the others. "Someone boost me up."

Almost immediately there were strong hands at his waist, lifting him up. For a moment Duo felt his insides squirm, not uncomfortably, at the realization that the hands belonged to Wufei; but then he was clambering through the window, and the hands were gone.

The whimper of disappointment that caught in his throat surprised even him, as he turned to help the next pilot through the window.

-

Wufei grunted as Barton hoisted him inside, landing softly on the thickly-carpeted floor inside. It was very nearly pitch-black inside the mansion, though neither Yuy nor Maxwell seemed to notice the darkness as they moved around shrouded furniture to the room's exit. He moved after them as quietly as he could, knowing well that he and Winner were the loudest of the Gundam pilots when it came to moving quietly.

Well, at least he had the satisfaction of knowing he wasn't _the_ worst at sneaking around, even if it wasn't the most honorable feeling to have.

Rather like wanting to jump one of his fellow pilots whenever he spent more than a few moments in the same room with him, but he couldn't seem to stop feeling that one, either.

Yuy poked his head through the door, and after a couple of seconds waved them on. The door led into a hallway, and Wufei nearly flinched as he came face-to-face with a plastic-covered statue of a woman.

"This place is _creepy_," Maxwell said in an undertone as the American took in the various statues and "work of art" that cluttered the corridor. "I say we shoot their interior decorator."

Winner stifled a giggle, and Wufei smirked openly, knowing the darkness would hide it. The remark broke the tension that had been settling unnoticed around them, brought about by the troubling lack of security and the genuinely disturbing nature of the house's décor. The pilot could feel muscles relaxing that he hadn't even realized had tensed, and he felt sharper, somehow more ready to face whatever was to come.

"Where's this entrance supposed to be, anyway?" Maxwell asked, looking towards his partner.

"There's a false mirror in the dining hall, activated by a data pad hidden beneath a light switch," the Japanese soldier replied, beginning to move down the hallway, his gun pointed always to the front.

"Original." The dry comment came, surprisingly enough, from the taciturn Barton, and prompted a quiet laugh from the braided boy.

"Isn't it just?" Maxwell glanced back at them, and Wufei knew without having to see that his beautiful violet eyes would be dancing merrily.

"Quiet." Yuy's reprimand lacked the sting it normally would have held; he must have been feeling the tension as well, though you wouldn't have known it to look at him. "Concentrate on the mission."

The American threw a salute at the back of his partner's head that somehow came off as good-natured instead of sarcastic, but then, Wufei had never known him to do something actively malicious.

Well, except the last time the Peacecraft onna had come to visit, but he couldn't hold him to that.

Nothing else broke the silent stillness of the house as they made their way through the hallways to the dining hall. It was a large room, large enough to make the long, mahogany table at its center seem tiny. A crystalline chandelier hung from the ceiling above, dusty from long disuse, and mirrors lined the walls.

The pilots were less than enchanted. "Great. Did the docs bother to say _which_ mirror it was?" Maxwell asked, looking around at the many panes of silvered glass.

Yuy shook his head in answer. "Spread out and check the light switches," he ordered. "One should be hinged."

It was only a couple of minutes before Winner called out quietly that he had found it. They all gathered around him, and Yuy studied the device beneath the switch. "Is everyone ready?"

"Just open the damn door already," his partner whispered impatiently. "Aren't we behind schedule as it is?"

The Japanese pilot nodded, and inputted the code their man inside had told them would open the emergency entrance. They all held their breaths as for a long moment, nothing happened; then, with a quiet hum of machinery, the mirror to their left spilt vertically in half.

"Well," Maxwell muttered almost to himself as he gazed into the blackness beyond the secret door, "Here we go…"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's a relief. I thought this thing would _never_ get long enough to post… You wouldn't believe how tempting it was to stop after the bit with a body, but I decided even a cliffie like that wasn't worth posting such a short chapter.

As said at the top, this chapter is dedicated to **Lachwen**.

* * *

_Our most sincere gratitude to_ **crazy-lil-nae-nae**, **Lachwen**, **LassyD**, _and _**Mithros** _for_ _reviewing.

* * *

_

28 June 2005


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